downey



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

W. F. DOWNEY.A DRAINAGE SYSTEM POR STABLES.

Patented June 25, 1895.

ls Ferias co. woaumo.. "NAsmNoToN u c (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2. W. P. DOWNBY. DRAINAGE SYSTEM FOR STABLBS.

N0.4541,600. Patented'June 25,1895.

WMM/meow (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

W. P. DOWNEY. DRAINAGE SYSTEMA FOR STABLES.

No. 541,600. Patented June 25, 1895.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM F. DOWNEY, OF WASHINGTON', DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

DRAINAGE SYSTEM FOR sTA-BLEs.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 541,600, dated June 25, 1895.

Application filed April 30, 1894 Serial No. 509,493, (No moduli) To a/ZZ whom it. may concern):

Le it known that I, WILLIAM F. DOWNEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Washington city, in the District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in the Drainage of Stables; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains-to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompany- 'ing drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form apart of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in the drainage of' stables and like structures, wherein live stock is housed, and is especially applicable to the care of horses. s

The providing of ay cheap, durable and effective means whereby the air, floor, stalls and bedding of stables may be kept clean and free from noxious smells, and accumulation of lth is the object I have in view.

The effect of ammoniaoal gases upon the eyes of horses, and the foul air which prevails where there is defective provision for the removal of such gases is well known to all familiar with the care of live stock.

A further requisite of a system of drainage of stables and like structures is that all portions of such system shall be easily accessible at all times, and shall not be liable to clogging, and thereby form a source of an-l noyance and breeder of disease.

It is becoming common to place horses upon several floors of a building and the means of properly draining the stalls is a matter of much consequence. It is further necessary that a means of ventilation. of the same shall be an adjunct thereto, for without a means of removing the resultant gases and fumes, any system of drainage would be fatally defective.

This I have provided for in a simple and ef-A invention I have been enabled to reduce the amount of wet bedding which it is necessary to remove to a very small quantity, and thereby much of the waste, heretofore necessary, is prevented. The effect of the soiled and wet bedding upon the hoofs of horses and other live stock is also well known to those having the care of such stock.

The saturation of the flooring is prevented by coating the floor with any suitable material, such as granolithic, Portland cement, which is not porous, and which will not take in moisture, or retain or create noxious gases and odors.

Vith these end'sin view my invention consists in certain novel features' of construction and combination of parts, which will be particularly hereinafter described and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying sheets' of drawings IV have illustrated my invention as applied to a form of structure which I have found to be advantageous for carrying out my invention, but the form and arrangement may be changed to suit the exigencies of the case.

Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical sectional p view through a stable or similar structure constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical sectional view of the same. Fig. 3 is a plan view of twol of the stalls. Fig. 4 is a detail view on an enlarged scale.

Like letters ot' reference indicate like parts' wherever they occur.

The structure, A, may be of any suitable material, of any convenient form, and' the arrangement of the several iioors may be'varied, and as many stories may be used as is necessary.

The several doors, A2, A3, may be reached in any suitable way, e. g., by elevator, or inclined way as may be desired.

The ground floor, A', is similar in construe-- tion to all the others, except so far as is necessary to modify the form of drain to adapt it to underground use. The floors, A', A2, A3, may be of any suitable material, but I havefound a door having the exposed surface formed of granolithic or like material is desirable, such a surface being impervious to moisture, and not liable to deterioration from exposure'to the action of the urine discharged thereon or IOO of water used for cleaning, or from the oifal; A very desirable and tire proof licor is thus produced and leakage of any liquid from one floor to the iioor below is prevented.

The stalls, B, are provided with the usual feed troughs, dac. The floor, a, of each stall is formed so as to fit the contour of the body of the animal which is placed therein when such animal is lying down and in order to accomplish this result the iioor is slightly concaved or sloped downwardly from the sides and both ends toward a point at or near the center. The floor is thus made highest at those portions on which the hoofs of the animal rest when standing and any liquid falling on such fioor will therefore be drained away from the animals hoofs toward the lower cen tral portion of the stall. To facilitate this draining of liquid from the hoofs I form a series of channels orgrooves, a', in the sloping or concaved portions of the Hoor.

Beneath the floor, preferably adjacent thereto, and suspended by suitable hangers are a series of drain troughs, D, which I construct of any suitable material. The troughs, D, are inclined sufficiently to give a fall to the liquid matter discharged therein which may be readily carried to the main outlet, through the system of troughs as will now appear.

, A trap, b, of comparatively small diameter is located at the lowest point in the Hoor of each stall and covers the upper end of a discharge pipe, C, which empties directly into one of the troughs, D. The perforations in the cover or trap, b, are of such size as to prevent any but liquid matter from passing into the pipe, C, which pipes are preferably of the form shown.

The troughs, D, of which Iprefer to arrange one below each line or series of stalls empty into troughs, D', of similar form but prefably extending at substantially right angles to the length of the troughs, D. In the drawings I have shown but two troughs, D', on each storyr of the building but do not wish to be understood asintending to limit myself to that number. The troughs, D', conduct the discharge of the troughs, D, to a proper place where the same may be discharged, through a common conduit or pipe to a settling pool to be hereinafter referred to.

As shown in the drawings the troughs, D, are arranged in parallel lines and the lowest points of such troughs are represented as being about the middle of the structure but it is obvious that this may be changed to suit the particular building in which the system is placed. The troughs, D', communicate at their lower ends with a common discharge pipe, D2, which is connected at its lowest end with a suitable drain below the lower floor of the structure, A or into suitable receptacles. A trap, E', having the proper cleaning openings and gas seal is arranged at the communication between such discharge pipe, D2, and the drain.

I prefer to make all of the troughs, D, D',

open at their top so that they are readily accessible at all times for the purpose of cleaning.

The partitions, F, of the stalls preferably extend only a portion of the distance between the two iioors so that a free air space is provided above all of the stalls on a floor and below the ceiling of that Hoor. Vithin these partitions, F, of the stalls, B, at suitable distances apart, are formed fines or passages, f, which preferably extend only to the top of said partitions, and open into the free air space, just referred to, which` is above the heads of thehorses or other live stock in the stalls. The arrangement of the fines, f, in the different stories, they being in vertical alignment as shown in the drawings, and their being of the length stated connects the free air spaces of the floors and the air space in the upper story with the external air, in such a manner that the resultant fumes and gases which form in the troughs, D, D', are sucked upward through the top of the building and never form around the heads of the animals, thereby preventing their inhalation, and the resultant damage to the health and eyesight of the animals. The troughs, D, being open near the floor by which they are supported, permit the immediate ascent of the gases through the flues,f.

By placing the discharge opening centrally of the stall, and sloping the sides and ends toward this discharge opening, the moment there is a discharge of liquid itimmcdiately finds its way to' the opening and is drained away from the hoofs of the animal occupying the stall so that they cannot prevent the free and complete exit. The importance of this cannot be overestimated for upon this the healthy condition of the hoofs ofthe animal depend, as well as the keeping the stall clean and free from becoming permeated with a mass of disease breeding material detri mental to the animal, and increasing the cost of maintenance. I remedy such defects by the arrangement I have described and this is further aided by making the bed as shown in Fig. 3.

By distributing the bedding very thin at a point over the trap, b, and banking it on the higher portions of the floor, toward the sides and ends of the stall I have found that the animal in the stall rests more comfortably, and the bedding does not offer the resistance to the discharge of liquid matter it would if made thicker at the central point. As all the liquid immediately upon its discharge is drained oif through the trap, l), the dry olf-al is easily removed, almost unaccompanied by straw from the bedding, and thereby the ma` nure so obtained is much less bulky, and is more easily cared for and preserved, and the` IOC TIOA

' apart, and all solid matter being preventedv very little amm oniacal gas accumulates, and such as does so accumulate is carried to the external air through the vertical tlues,f, in the manner already described. f

The arrangement of the drain D3 on the ground floor is composed of any suitable drain tile, or if it were desired a wooden drain, properly coated to preserve the same might be used. The discharge pipe and pipes connecting therewith are of the same general construction as is used in connection with the other fioors. The discharge pipes of the several stalls being comparatively short distances from entering the trough or drain,it is impossible for the same to become stopped up, and the'arrangement of discharge pipes makes it very easy to clean any portion of the trough by simply inserting a hose when the cap of the trap, b, has been removed.. The troughs are further provided with iiushing pipes, d, so arranged that each trough may have aconstant or intermittent ow of water as may be desired.

rlhe drain pipe enters a receiving pocket or settling basin which is provided with amanhole, and said pocket or basin permits the heavy particles to settle to the bottom, and a seal is formed by the partition, L, which depends below the level of the liquid. From the receiving pocket or settling basin, G, the drain pipe leads to the sewer, H.

The hangers, c, for the drain troughs and the troughs themselves may be made of any suitable form, which is found convenient to use, though those shown are easily and conveniently made and putup.

As shown in the drawings the troughs employed in my improved system are preferably made in sections, each of which is provided at one end with an annular collar, e', having an annular seat formed therein, and each section has at its other end, e2, an arch shaped covering, e3, extending over its upper open side.

In placing the sections of the trough to-v gether the end, e2, of each section is fitted within the collar, e', of an adjacent section, and seated firmly against the seat therein. The joints between the sections can then be calked or made tight by any suitable and desirable means.'

The arrangement of windows which I have shown, permits the ingress of pure air which is directed upwardly, and thereby drives off the gases and odors while supplying fresh air. Such arrangement also prevents any draft reaching the horses or other live stock in the stalls.

Although I have shown a particular form of construction which I have found advantageous to use, I do not desire to limit myself to the exact construction and arrangement shown, as these may be varied in many ways without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

The operation from the foregoing description will be obvious and its advantages apparent to those who are familiar with the needs and dangers surrounding the care of live stock, particularly fine horses.

Having thusldescribed my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In a drainage system for stables, the combination of a .stall floor which is coated with a suitable liquid-proof material upon which the animal stands or lies downv and is concaved or sloped downwardly and inwardly from its sides and ends toward the center to form a surface conforming substantially to the contour of the body of the animal when lying down in the stall, and forming a bank for the bedding, a trap arranged at the lowest point in the stall floor, and connections between said trap and a sewer, substantially as shown and described, for the purpose specified.

2. In a drainage system for stables, the combination of a stall iioor upon which the animal stands or lies down which is sloped or concaved downwardly and inwardly from its sides and ends and has a series of channels or grooves formed in its inclined surfaces, a trap arranged at the lowest point in the stall licor, said grooves converging at said trap, and connections between the trap and a sewer, substantially as shown and described.

3. In a drainage system for stables, the combination of a series of stalls arranged on different Iioors of a building and each having a trapopening through its floor, a series of conduits, open at the top, supported below the ceiling of each story and connected with the traps in the stalls on the floor above, air shafts formed between the stalls in each story of the building and opening through the floor of such story, and a discharge pipe connected with a sewer and. with the stall conduits, substantially as shown and described, for the purpose specified.

4. Ina drainage system for stables, the combination of a seriesv of stalls arranged on different lioors and separated by partitions of less height than the story in which they are placed but extending above the animals head, a conduit, open upon its upperside, supported from the air space, receiving the drainage of the stalls on the next floor above, said stalls being provided with traps communicating therewith, airpassages, formed by the partitions, communicating with the air space in each story, and finally with the external air and a discharge connected with the conduits beneath the series of stalls and a sewer, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM F. DOWNEY. Witnesses: GEO. P. NEWTON, JAS. F. DENsoN.

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